Full Moon's Rising
by Ouka-Noir
Summary: Moonkit was born to a litter of five only to be the one who survives. Many within the Clan believes it is a miracle, she believes that it was a mistake. In order to make up for causing her mother to grieve, Moonkit will face more hardships in order to overcome her guilt as well as discover why she can remember everything as clearly as the stars in the sky. (Warning fighting/blood)
1. Allegiances

**SkyClan**

 **Leader** Lionstar- large golden tabby tom with a bushy tail

 **Deputy** Ceaderpelt- broad-shouldered dark red-brown tom

 **Medicine Cat** Swallowfur- small blue-gray she-cat with vibrant yellow eyes

 **Warriors (toms and she-cats without kits)**

Mossclaw- pale gray tabby she-cat with dull yellow eyes

Gorsefoot- black mottled tom with amber eyes

Icetail- pure white tom with silver tabby markings

Apprentice, Quickpaw

Fawnleap- lithe brown she-cat with a white underbelly and green eyes

Larkwhisker- brown tabby tom with blue eyes

Maplefur- small white-and-ginger she-cat

Leopardsplash- golden-and-brown spotted she-cat

Brightflower- tortoiseshell mottled she-cat with pale green eyes

Apprentice, Vixenpaw

Blackthroat- gray tom with a black dash on his chest

Hawkfur- light brown-and-white tabby tom with dark eyes

Cinderclaw- dark gray she-cat with blue eyes

 **Apprentices (six moons old or older, in-training to become warriors)**

Quickpaw- black-and-white she-cat with long limbs

Vixenpaw- bright ginger pelted she-cat with amber eyes

 **Queens (she-cats nursing or expecting kits)**

Milkdawn- blue-gray she-cat with amber eyes and a plume tail, nursing Ceaderpelt's kits; Barkkit- large dark brown tom and Silverkit- silver tabby she-cat with bright eyes

Rosecrystal- creamy ginger she-cat with bright blue eyes, nursing Gorsefoot's kits; Moonkit- long haired cream-colored she-cat with bright amber eyes

 **Elders (former warriors and queens now retired)**

Nightfang- elderly black tom with dark amber eyes

Slightfoot- clumsy pale tortoiseshell-and-white mottled she-cat

Whitetail- brown tom with dulling green eyes and a pure white tail

 **ThunderClan**

 **Leader** Blizzardstar- black she-cat with a white speckled pelt

 **Deputy** Addertail- dark brown tabby tom with thorn sharp claws

 **Medicine Cat** Grassberry- thick furred golden-and-white tabby she-cat

Apprentice, Stormpaw (dark ginger tom with large paws)

 **Warriors (toms and she-cats without kits)**

Yelloweyes- gray tom with strikingly bright yellow eyes

Duskfang- brown tom with darker tabby stripes and sharp teeth

Poppyleaf- black-and-white she-cat with

Hollyfur- pure white she-cat with a black muzzle

Apprentice, Willowpaw (light brown tabby tom)

Creekflower- light gray tabby she-cat with amber eyes

Thistlefur- ginger-and-white she-cat with her pelt sticking up

Jaggedclaw- thick furred dark brown tabby tom with torn claws

Apprentice, Sharppaw (dark golden-brown tom with amber eyes)

Honeystripe- golden she-cat with lighter tabby stripes

 **Queens (she-cats nursing or expecting kits)**

Deerpelt- beautiful black she-cat, expecting Yelloweyes's kits

Ripplepelt- white she-cat with silver tabby splotches, nursing Duskfang's kits; Frecklekit and Thrushkit

 **Elders (former warriors and queens now retired)**

Lightningstreak- dull cream colored tom with a white stripe down his back

Wolfclaw- ragged gray tom with piercing blind blue eyes

 **ShadowClan**

 **Leader** Rabbitstar- pale brown she-cat with white legs

Apprentice, Birdpaw (black tom with a white muzzle and paws)

 **Deputy** Goldenheart- golden brown tabby tom with green eyes

 **Medicine Cat** Tallwhisker- tortoiseshell-and-white splotched tom with long whiskers

 **Warriors (toms and she-cats without kits)**

Featherpelt- long furred black tom with blue eyes

Apprentice, Mistypaw (brown tabby she-cat with a single white paw)

Mouseclaw- little brown tom with small sharp claws

Smalltail- lithe dark brown she-cat with blue eyes and a short tail

Apprentice, Dapplepaw (white tom with dark brown splotches)

Volepelt- brown tom with a white underbelly

Runningshade- lithe black she-cat with amber eyes

Raintail- very light gray she-cat with a large plumy tail

Apprentice, Tawnypaw (ragged brown she-cat)

Nightpelt- golden tom with black markings

 **Queens (she-cat nursing or expecting kits)**

Petalfall- pale golden tabby she-cat with blue eyes, expecting Volepelt's kits

Whitebird- once pretty white she-cat with a glossy pelt

 **Elders (former warriors and queens now retired)**

Flameheart- dark ginger she-cat with amber eyes

Tigerfur- white tom with green eyes and black tabby stripes

Sweetdapple- pale tortoiseshell she-cat with green eyes

 **WindClan**

 **Leader** Emberstar- very dark gray tom with dark ginger markings

 **Deputy** Leafclaw- broad faced very light ginger tabby she-cat

 **Medicine Cat** Shystep- pale brown tabby tom with tentative eyes

Apprentice, Harescar- gray-and-black tom with green eyes

 **Warriors (toms and she-cats without kits)**

Redclaw- lithe reddish-brown she-cat

Hawkpelt- large black tom with blue eyes

Apprentice, Specklepaw (gray she-cat with darker flecks)

Berrytooth- brown tabby tom with blue eyes

Cloudfoot- white she-cat with large paws and stormy blue eyes

Mumblewhisker- long-limbed brown-and-white tom

Apprentice, Sandpaw (dusky light brown tabby tom)

Dewspots- black-and-white dappled she-cat with yellow eyes

 **Queens (she-cat nursing or expecting kits)**

Brindlemask- white mottled she-cat with yellow eyes, nursing Berrytooth's kits; Badgerkit, Finchkit and Oakkit

Owlsong- brown-and-white tabby she-cat with blue eyes, expecting Mumblewhisker's kits

 **Elders (former warriors and queens now retired)**

Stoneclaw- gray tom with dull yellow eyes and a scarred face

Mousebelly- elderly, broad-faced light brown she-cat with a white stomach

 **RiverClan**

 **Leader** Sedgestar- young sleek furred tortoiseshell she-cat

 **Deputy** Birchclaw- dark brown tom with sharp claws

 **Medicine Cat** Duskpelt- very light blue-gray she-cat with beautiful yellow eyes

 **Warriors (toms and she-cats without kits)**

Softfur- long-haired gray she-cat with tabby patches

Ambertail- brown tom with blue eyes and stripped tail

Swiftrunner- lithe and sleek gray-brown tom

Apprentice, Ripplepaw (small gray-and-white tom)

Whiskerstorm- large white tom with green eyes

Mistpelt- very light gray tabby she-cat with blue eyes

Willowface- nimble black she-cat

Apprentice, Troutpaw (light brown tabby she-cat)

Finchwing- light brown tom with amber eyes

Minnowtail- lithe silver tom with long limbs

 **Queens (she-cat nursing or expecting kits)**

Mapleheart- tortoiseshell mottled she-cat with yellow eyes, nursing Ambertail's kits; Minnowkit, Shellkit and Applekit

 **Elders (former warriors and queens now retired)**

Dawnfish- elderly cream-colored she-cat with a graying muzzle

Heavyroar- large black tom with amber eyes and a deep voice

 **Cats Outside of the Clans**

Hope- tiny brown tabby she-cat with a white dash on her chest, lives in the barn near Highstones

Magpie- black-and-white tom with thorn sharp claws, lives in the barn near Highstones


	2. Prologue- The Litter

Prologue

The sun warmed the smooth stones under the she-cat's paws as she crept along the forest floor towards the unsuspecting black bird that sat atop a fallen branch. She kept her steps small and light as she grew ever closer to the bird before she slowly, ever so slowly, gathered her haunches under herself. The wind whistled in her ears as she launched herself into the air and allowed her aching claws to spring forwards towards the black feathered bird. It had never even noticed her presence until it was too late; it let out a sudden cry of alarm as it met the eyes of its killer and trying futilely to fly away only to be stopped by a swift bite to the neck.

The bird was limp in her jaws as she smirked and climbed off the branch in triumph. "Nice catch," the red-brown tom called as the rest of the patrol approached the she-cat. The she-cat set the bird down and bowed her head to the deputy before glancing at what her clanmates had caught. One glance and she knew that they hadn't caught nearly enough to feed the clan and a stone settled itself in her belly. Despite their best efforts, the patrol of the best hunters had only managed to catch a squirrel and a few scrawny birds.

The deputy seemed to notice her glance and rested his tail-tip against the young warriors shoulder. "Don't worry, Rosecrystal, the day is still young," he reassured her before looking to the rest of the patrol. "Let's head back to camp, we can come back a bit later and see if the prey is running then." The cats nodded and gathered what little prey they had. Their deputy took hold of Rosecrystal's small bird and led the group away from the clearing. The she-cat sighed before following after them with her tail stirring the leaves behind her.

Over the past few moons, leaf-bare had begun to take its toll on how the prey ran before the first snow had even shown itself. SkyClan was suffering just as badly as the other clans, only a pawful of prey every few patrols barley managed to keep the queens and elders fed, much less the warriors who needed the prey in order to continue hunting. Leaf-bare had grown worse as the harsh winds caused more and more warriors to fall from the branches of trees as they hunted and caused more and more injuries to be treated. Swallowfur had had to make three warriors stay in the camp due to dislodged shoulders and broken legs caused by the falls.

As she pondered these thoughts, she hadn't noticed the lithe brown she-cat slow her steps to fall in beside her. "Hey," Fawnleap mewed worriedly, "how are you doing?" Rosecrystal glanced up to meet the older warrior's eyes before sighing and looking away. "I feel ashamed," she admitted weakly. "Normally I can catch three birds in one fell swoop, now I can't seem to make my paws move the right way." She had only noticed her sudden clumsiness a few sunrises ago, but it was already starting to hurt her ability to hunt.

Fawnleap looked sympathetic as they entered camp before joining the patrol at the fresh-kill pile. "That happens to everyone at some point or another, it isn't that unusual," she purred, resting her tail tip against the creamy she-cat's ear. Rosecrystal flicked her ear angrily and sent a light glare towards the cat before stalking away from her denmate, who inevitably followed after her. Although Fawnleap's words had calmed her anxieties, she still worried about the odd fluttering feeling she felt in her stomach every so often. For sunrises these tiny feather tickled her stomach whenever she felt worried or when she was near her mate. She had realized what it was only that morning and had yet to tell her mate of what was happening. Fawnleap stared at her face as she quietly pondered over her thoughts, her eyes shining with a sort of kit-like mischief. "You haven't told Gorsefoot yet?"

Rosecrystal smiled as the fluttering in her stomach intensified slightly when Fawnleap mentioned her mate. Lifting one paw, she placed it on her growing stomach and waited to feel the small moving in her body that proved that tiny lives were growing within her. Although slight, she could feel the movement of tiny lives. In only a few more sunrises, she would have to leave the hunting to Fawnleap and join the two other queens in the small cave where she had been kitted season ago.

"Hey!"

Her ears perked in surprise as she picked out the cool voice of her mate as he approached the two she-cats. He padded quickly past their clanmates and pressed his muzzle against Rosecrystal's. "I was wondering where you had gone. Let me guess," he took a moment to look her over, "you went out hunting?" Fawnleap snickered, receiving a quick cuff to her ear from Rosecrystal, before quickly taking her leave so the two could talk.

Gorsefoot stared after the lithe brown she-cat before turning his gaze back to his mate. "Would you like to get a bite to eat?" As he spoke, the fluttering in her stomach grew more intense to the point where it almost took her breath away. A small gasp escaped from her mouth as she tried to suppress the sudden jolt of movement in her stomach. The tom took notice of this and opened his eyes wide in fear. "What's wrong?" he mewed tentatively. "Did you get hurt while you were out hunting, should I go get Swallowfur?" Despite the pain, she gave her worried mate a small grin before straightening to her full height, fluffing out her pelt in hopes that it would give her courage.

"No, you don't need to get Swallowfur; I already know what's going on," she explained cautiously. Gorsefoot continued to watch her, unsure of how to react. The tiny lives wiggled around again as they seemed to realize that their existence was about to be revealed before their father. Her paw lifted on its own and placed itself over her stomach in order to feel her kits moving through her pelt. The gesture did not go unnoticed, but the tom was still unsure of what was going on. "You see, we- that is- I…." For a reason she could not really acknowledge, she was stuttering over her words. Inwardly, she scolded herself for being so cowardly and took a long breath in order to clear her sense and try again.

"You see, Gorsefoot, I'm- _we_ \- are going to be parents."

Two amber orbs widened in pure astonishment before opening even wider as raw joy replaced his surprise; Gorsefoot smiled before pressing his muzzle happily against his mate's ear and shivered happily. He then pulled away and cuffed her ear playfully, scoffing as he did. "Mouse brain, I thought you were going to tell me you didn't want to be my mate anymore!" Now Rosecrystal's eyes widened in shock and she shook her head vigorously as if that could send the words away. She pressed herself against the mottled black tom and breathed in his scent as the tiny lives pressed against her stomach in order to be closer to their father. "I promise you, Gorsefoot, we will never be apart so long as we are under the stars of our ancestors." She pulled her head back to look up at her mate. "These kits are the proof of my love to you."

Gorsefoot looked lovingly at his mate before pressing himself against her and whispered quietly, "No, these kits are what is born from our love for each other." The two stayed like that, sitting with their sides pressed against one another and their tails intertwined, as the stars of Silverpelt brought light to the darkening sky above them.

* * *

Screams of pure pain howled through the vines of brambles that formed the entrance to the nursery. The entire clan sent worried glances towards the cave and the mottled tom waiting patiently outside for the medicine cat to come out. At first, he had paced restlessly about before settling himself in a patch of shade where he nearly melted away in the shadows. He glanced up at the sun that sat almost directly over the camp and sighed.

Rosecrystal had moved into the nursery only two sunrises ago, having refused to stop hunting until she knew the clan could manage without her for a few moons. Gorsefoot had awoken to the prodding of Fawnleap who had told him that the queen was kitting. He had raced out of the den only to be halted by Swallowfur just a fox-length away from the nursery where howls of pain were more audible. She had forbade him from entering and asked for Fawnleap to make sure Lionstar kept the clan working while she did the task she was trained for.

He stared up at the sun as it reached its height and shifted his paws worriedly. From what he had heard amongst the whispers of his clanmates, a kitting did not usually take so long unless there were more than two kits. The thought of his kits being born warmed his heart greatly, yet made him feel nervous for Rosecrystal. As he pondered over his thoughts, he didn't notice the large tabby tom approach him from behind until he settled himself beside the mottled tom. Lionstar stared at the brambles with the same sort of worry Gorsefoot felt.

"How long has this gone on now?" his leader whispered. Gorsefoot sighed and lowered his head so that his chin hovered over his chest fur. "I've been here since before dawn, StarClan knows how much longer this will take." Lionstar turned to watch the tom before turning his attention to the rest of his clan. The worry for his clanmate ate at him terribly, but the worry for his sister ate at him even more so as the sun arched overhead.

Just as their worries began to grow worse, a final, heart-wrenching scream filled the air before all was silent. The two exchanged a glance before turning their eyes to stare at the brambles expectantly. After a pawful of heartbeats, a head poked out and a blue-gray she-cat made her way out of the den. Swallowfur looked as though she was seasons older, bags appearing visibly under her eyes and her paws shaking as she stepped down from the small ledge that separated the nursery's entrance from the sandy ground of their hollow. After a moment, she lifted her eyes to look between her leader and clanmate. Within her vibrant yellow eyes flickered something Gorsefoot couldn't identify and something that caused Lionstar to become rigid. Instead of trying to settle the large tom's worries, she turned her head to address Gorsefoot. "Go and see her, she needs you now more than ever."

Before the words finished leaving her mouth, Gorsefoot pushed his way through the brambles and went to his mate's side. The den was dark, darker than it usually appeared and the scents of milk were nearly overpowered by a coppery scent he was all too familiar with. As he looked about the den, he noticed the creamy she-cat he loved resting in a nest of moss and feathers. Her eyes were glazed and sad as she looked up at him, then tears filled her eyes and she released horrible sobs that broke his heart in two. He went to his mate and curled around her in an attempt to comfort her.

They stayed beside each other as long as they could before Gorsefoot had to ask. "How many?" His voice was as soft as the pawsteps of a cat during a hunt. Her head lifted to look at the small bundles that suckled at her milk warm belly. Four small bundles of fur mewled and whimpered as they felt the gazes of their parents looking over them. One, a small cream kit that nearly melted into its mother's similarly colored pelt, lifted its head curiously as the sounds of the camp flitted into the nursery. This one kit seemed to be the strongest, holding its head up and easily capable of returning to its place to suckle alongside its littermates.

Rosecrystal carefully lowered her head and cleaned the heads of each kit, the look of sadness still fresh in her eyes. He watched his mate as she groomed the tiny bundles before looking over her head to see Swallowfur carrying a much smaller bundle away from the family. Five. Rosecrystal had brought five beautiful kits into the world and only four had survived. Grief filled him from whisker to tail tip as he looked to his mate and watched over his mate as she looked at her remaining kits with loving care. "What should we name them? There are three she-kits and one tom" she asked quietly, looking to her she-kits and tom in turn.

He looked at their kits once again before taking a breath and touching the small black tom kit with his nose. "I think this one should be named Nightkit, because his fur is as dark as the night's sky." Her eyes sparkled as she watched Nightkit squirm under his father's nose before she turned her eyes to an equally small ginger-brown tabby she-kit who suckled fiercely for milk. "Mallowkit would be a good name for this she-kit," she murmmered sleepily. One glance at the queen and any cat could tell that she was slowly becoming more and more exhausted after kitting for such a long time. Only two kits were still unnamed, one was a plump tortoiseshell she-kit and the other was the creamy she-kit who seemed to melt into her mother's belly fur.

"Could we name the smaller she-kit Leafkit?" Gorsefoot asked, touching the tiny tortoiseshell kit's flank as he spoke. She let out a small whimper and tried to move closer to Rosecrystal's belly causing her to smile lightly at her daughter's shyness. This only left the cream she-kit nameless. She looked at the one kit that seemed to have very little trouble suckling at her mother's belly and making her presence known. Of all the kits, only this she-kit seemed truly strong enough to suckle while the other simply tried to suckle as much they could. Her mother looked her over before whispering softly to her mate, "That little cream she-kit was the last born. She waited for her littermates to be born before being born herself."

Seeming to have heard her mother talking about her, the she-kit lifted her berry colored nose into the air and sniffed curiously at her parents. An amused purr reverberated from her father as he smiled at his youngest daughter's curiosity. "That means that she will put the clan before everything else no matter what." His mate raised her eyes to look at his smugly as if his words humored her, making his pelt heat up in embarrassment. "At least," he stammered, "that's how I see it."

Suddenly, Rosecrystal let out a great laugh that made Gorsefoot flinch in surprise. For such a long time after kitting, she had seemed to have been broken hearted to the point where she could never heal, and yet she could still laugh. It warmed his heart and made him smile, but he couldn't forget that they still hadn't named their youngest kit. Her pelt was almost the same shade as her mother's, but she had an odd cloudy look to her and her tiny body seemed to have a certain strength to it that the other lacked. For some reason, she reminded him of the moon; only rising after the stars had begun to appear on Silverpelt.

"Moonkit."

Rosecrystal paused in her laughter to look to Gorsefoot in question. He smiled at his thoughts before explaining. "This last she-kit, the youngest one, she is like the moon. She only claws into the sky once our ancestors have taken their places in Silverpelt. Her name should be Moonkit in honor of this trait." The queen smiled at her mate's words before looking to Moonkit and let the blackness of sleep sweep over her just as her tail swept her kits closer to her milk-warm belly.

* * *

 **So, I noticed recently that Rosecrystal says she has four kits but only three are at her belly. Had to change that. I hate continuity. See y'all next chapter**


	3. Chapter 1- The Camp

Feathers and moss tickled at her nose as she readied to pounce on her would-be prey. The creamy flank of her mother rose and fell steadily without ever noticing how her daughter had managed to get out of the nest and was ready to pounce. A small smile played on her muzzle as she crept forward slowly and bunched her legs under her, gathering every tiny ounce of her energy into her legs before she pounced. With a strong breath in, she launched herself into the air and landed squarely on top of the moss ball she had tossed behind her mother's sleeping form.

"Gotcha!" Moonkit squeaked as she tossed the moss back into the air and readied to pounce once again on her pretend piece of prey. She happily readied herself to pounce again, not knowing that her mother had woken up and was watching her kit as she launched herself towards the moss again. A smile played on her muzzle as she watched before she looked around the den and noticed how the only other queen in the nursery, Milkdawn, was watching Moonkit practice her hunting.

"She will make the clan proud one day, Rosecrystal," Milkdawn purred soothingly to the queen, noticing how sadness seemed to weigh heavily on the cream she-cat's shoulders. She nodded her head happily before standing to her paws and stretching out her legs from a long night's sleep. "Moonkit." Hearing her mother's voice, Moonkit turned her head to look at the queen and smiled happily.

"Good morning, Mama! I was wondering if I could go look at the camp today," Moonkit said, bounding over to her mother and looking up at her pleadingly. She watched she her mother hesitated, she knew that it was for a good reason. She glanced quietly over at their empty nest, where her littermates had lived for only two moons before joining the ranks of StarClan. The sobs of her mother over the loss still rang in Moonkit's ears whenever she thought about her siblings. Rosecrystal gazed at her before nodding. "Alright, go ahead and see the camp."

Moonkit bounced happily to her paws and sprang away from the queens and towards the brambles and what lay beyond them. Caution suddenly made her pause in her tread only a mouse-length from the veil shrouding her from the outside world. She was unsure of what she was supposed to do when she got out there. Something inside her made her look over her shoulder at her mother who watched over her from where she sat. Moonkit took a single deep breath and puffed up her chest as she pushed her way out of the brambles.

Bright light made her eyes wince as she exited the nursery and tried desperately to adjust her eyes to the abnormal amount of sunlight. Her eyes watered, but her eyes cleared and widened as she saw the place where her clan lived and thrived. So many lean and beautiful cats moved around the camp and spoke with one another in patches of sunlight while other ate at prey they had caught on earlier patrols. Moonkit stared, awestruck, at the sights around her before looking behind her to see where the nursery she had grown in was set up. The sight made her eyes grow even bigger. Tall sandy walls towered high into the sky with caves and paths weaving to and fro where a few more cats moved about to reach their dens and meet with the rest of their clanmates.

Realizing where she was standing, she looked down and began climbing down the rocky path that led her to the ground below her, feeling the pawsteps of past clanmates under her own paws as she padded carefully down the path. Her paws felt unsteady against the path, but she tried to keep her balance the best she could as she descended to the ground below. A few larger cats noticed her the moment she had exited the nursery and watched her fondly as she looked around at the camp. One, a rather small ginger she-cat, took the initiative and approached Moonkit.

"Hello," she meowed kindly, kinking her tail in greeting. Moonkit looked up at the she-cat before smiling. "Hi! I'm Moonkit!" she explained happily. The she-cat let out a purr of amusement and nodded. "I'm Vixenpaw; I'm the apprentice who usually brought prey to your mother and Milkdawn." Moonkit blinked and looked up at the apprentice curiously. She had to admit, she hadn't expected an apprentice to be so much taller than she was. _Then again,_ her inner voice mused, _Mama and Milkdawn are much bigger than Vixenpaw._

As she mused to herself, Vixenpaw glanced over her shoulder and prodded Moonkit in the side with a paw in order to get her attention. "If you want to be shown around camp, I would suggest asking Barkkit and Silverkit to show you around. You know them right?" Moonkit looked in the direction that Vixenpaw turned her ears towards and noticed a familiar pair of kits playing side by side in a patch of the camp covered in golden sand. She could immediately see how much closer in size the two were to Vixenpaw than she was, showing that they were a quarter-moon older than her (she hated to admit it, but she was rather small for how old she was). A smile suddenly spread across her face at the thought of actually meeting the two instead of watching them from afar with her sickly littermates. Without a second thought, Moonkit charged over to where the two were playing and called out, "Hey, Silverkit, Barkkit!"

The two halted in their game of moss ball and turned to greet their denmate. Silverkit was the first to speak when Moonkit joined them. "Rosecrystal finally let you out of the nursery?" Moonkit raised her head proudly and nodded. "She said I could look around the camp. I never knew it was so big!" The two nodded in agreement and began to tell her about when they had first left the nursery when the snow of leaf-bare had just begun to melt. Their stories fascinated her and she listened intently as the two began to stray from their original story and began telling her stories they had heard from the warriors and their own mother. Vixenpaw, who had followed the creamy kit to greet her denmates, sighed as her unspoken dismissal rang in her ears and padded away to join her fellow apprentice in a patch of sun alongside their mentors.

"-and then Lionstar leapt on the back of the fox and yowled 'Get out of my Clan, you mangy fox'. The fox was so surprised that he went running with his tail between his legs and never set paw on our territory again," Barkkit explained, finishing his story by puffing up his chest as though he had been the cat to drive out the fox. Moonkit stared at Barkkit, transfixed by his story, and wished she could have actually been there to see the story play out as it had really happened. With all of their stories told, Silverkit and Barkkit happily showed Moonkit around the camp.

They began at a pile of large rocks that stood almost at the central of the camp, which Silverkit had called the Rockpile. "This is where Lionstar does all the ceremonies and announces battles to the clan," Silverkit explained. "Over there, that one cave a little farther apart from the others is Lionstar's den." Moonkit strained her neck to look up at the cave when she noticed a large golden tabby stepping out of the cave and down the path towards where they stood. For some odd reason Moonkit felt as though she had met him somewhere before, but she couldn't quite place where. She continued to watch him as he descended down the path and landed lithely only a few tail-lengths from them. His brilliant eyes glanced at them and widened slightly as he truly looked them over. Without warning, he began towards them and Moonkit suddenly felt every hair on her pelt stand on end.

The tom halted as he stood before them and smiled down at the tree with kind eyes. "Hello, little ones, out exploring the camp are we?" His voice was deep and reverberated almost like a purr in his throat when he spoke. When Moonkit heard him speak, she knew instantly where she knew him from: when she was much younger, back when Leafkit and Nightkit had not yet fallen ill, she had heard this voice speaking kindly to her mother in comfort over the loss of Mallowkit. If she remembered right, this tom had visited them quite often to comfort Rosecrystal. His eyes were kind as he gazed down at her, and she knew exactly why. "Excuse me," she mewed, getting the tom's attention, "you're Lionstar, right?" The tom chuckled and nodded. "Yes, I am Lionstar, leader of SkyClan."

A small thrill played inside of Moonkit as she remembered more and more about what he had talked to Rosecrystal about. If she remembered correctly, Lionstar was not only the leader of SkyClan but also the older brother to her mother. Feeling some sort of pride in knowing that this tom was her kin made her hold her head a little higher.

He turned to look over Silverkit and Barkkit and nodded approvingly. "Soon, you three will be made apprentices and will be able to help your clan with hunting and fighting, what do you think?" The siblings howled in agreement while Moonkit nodded enthusiastically. "So you all think you're ready to learn battle moves and hunting techniques? Well, how about I show you a battle move or two right now?" All three kits mewled happily as their leader began to show them standard battle moves that all the warriors had learned as apprentices.

Lionstar demonstrated for them the front paw strike and forepaw slash moves to start. Silverkit got the move down rather clumsily, falling over many times as she tried it. Barkkit fared a bit better, keeping his balance and bringing his forepaw down as if he was striking another cat. Moonkit watched them as they did it before trying it herself, mimicking Lionstar's stance, Barkkit's balance and Silverkit's unhesitating downward strike on her invisible foe. Although it took practice, all three of them soon found themselves able to do it almost as well as their leader. Lionstar acknowledged this by praising them and suggesting tips on how to make their fighting even better. Of the three, only Moonkit seemed truly devoted to mastering the move. Around Sunhigh, Lionstar excused himself and went to speak with a patrol of cats that had just entered the camp.

Barkkit was hyped from practicing that he wanted to try their moves for real. "Alright, I'll fight Moonkit and Silverkit will watch and give us some tips." Silverkit let out a groan about having to sit on the sidelines but moved out of the way nonetheless. Moonkit faced her denmate and crouched, ready to fight even if it was a simple tussle. Without warning, she shot forwards and brought on paw down against Barkkit's muzzle. He squeaked in surprise and leaped back to try and escape the blow only to wind up falling over onto his back. Barkkit bounced back onto his paws quickly and charged at her, bringing a paw of his own up and brought it down towards her muzzle. In a heartbeat, Moonkit turned her head to the side so that his paw would bounce off her cheek. Instead of feeling a paw pad brush against her cheek, she felt a stringing pain behind her ear. With a yelp, she leaped away from Barkkit and brought a paw up to feel the spot. She felt Silverkit watching in shock as she pulled her paw away to reveal red blood on her paw.

Barkkit sucked in a sharp breath of shock before realizing that the paw he had hit her with had had his claws unsheathed. Silverkit began to whimper and wail as more blood pooled from behind Moonkit's ear and cascaded thickly down her cheek and plopped onto the ground. As the speck of red hit the ground, Silverkit screamed and raced for the nursery while Barkkit remained frozen. "Mommy! Moonkit is gonna bleed to death!"

Within moments of Silverkit's wail hitting the air, Rosecrystal shot out of the nursery and knelt beside her daughter, surveying the damage done. Milkdawn, only a breath behind her, glanced at the injury before looking to her son and noting the blood on his small claws. She glared at her son but held off on scolding her and told Rosecrystal that she would get Swallowfur. Despite everything going on around her, Moonkit didn't feel the slightest bit scared. In fact, she wasn't even angry at Barkkit for fighting with his claws unsheathed. "Mama, I'm fine!" she protested as her mother tried to get her to lie down. "It doesn't even hurt that much anymore. Besides, I'm not going to die from it like Silverkit said." Suddenly, her mother wasn't her mother any longer.

"No, Moonkit, it could have killed you! Anything can kill you, just like how sickness took Leafkit and Nightkit and starvation took Mallowkit, an injury could take you away from me!" Her eyes were wild and unfocused as she scolded her kit. "You are not allowed to do anymore fighting until you are an apprentice, do you understand me!"

The world around her suddenly fell silent as her mother's words sank into her pelt. Then warmth stung her eyes and large tears began to trail down her cheeks accompanied by small sobs that shook her body. "I'm sorry, Mama," she sobbed quietly. Rosecrystal blinked in surprise and took a shocked step away from her daughter. "I'm sorry, I promise I won't fight another clanmate again but if I don't learn how to fight, how am I supposed to protect SkyClan?" The queen merely watched her kit as she sobbed, never noticing the arrival of Swallowfur nor Gorsefoot as they stood quietly at her sides. Her mate gently prodded her flank and she shot forward to pull her kit close to her side and tried to quiet her small sobs. Gorsefoot and Swallowfur let out a unified sigh as they watched mother and kit comfort each other.

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"I would say that you are very lucky, Moonkit," Swallowfur announced as she placed the last bit of cobwebs over the kit's wound. "It is a pretty deep scratch wound, but it should heal up very nicely in a sunrise or two at least." The creamy kit blinked and looked to the she-cat with a grateful smile plain on her face. After Rosecrystal had managed to soothe Moonkit, they had gone with Swallowfur to get the cut examined in the privacy of the medicine cat's den, the one cave closest to the river that flowed through the edge of the camp. "Thank you, Swallowfur," Moonkit mewed, bowing her head gratefully to the tiny she-cat.

From behind Swallowfur, Rosecrystal let out a sigh of relief while Gorsefoot intertwined his tail with his mate's in an attempt to calm her nerves. With the medicine cat's approval, Moonkit bounded over to her parents and nuzzled her mother comfortingly. "You heard her, Mama, I'll be fine," she mewed, brushing her nose against the she-cat's chin. When her nose brushed against her mother's pelt, she noticed how badly her mother was shaking and worried that she didn't believe her. She stepped back and looked into her mother's eyes to see relief glowing like the sun as she looked over her daughter. She lowered her muzzle to press it lovingly onto her kit's cheek, relief flowing in waves off her pelt. Gorsefoot smiled at the sight before clearing his throat and leading his family out of the den.

The sun had begun its descent through the sky and prepared for a well earned days rest while the small flowing lights of Silverpelt began to appear in the darkening sky. Many of the cats had retired to their dens, only three or four staying at the entrance in order to guard the camp during the night and a familiar queen and her two kits who waited outside the den. Milkdawn looked to Rosecrystal and bowed her head in apology. The queen just shook her head and pressed her flank against her friend's and leading her and their kits to their den. Moonkit slowed her pace to walk beside her father. He smiled down at her. "I'm glad it's just a little scratch, your first real battle scar."

Moonkit lifted her head proudly as if to show off the mesh of cobwebs behind her ear. He snickered at the gesture before looking forwards at his mate with a sad grin. "I hope you know she didn't really mean what she said," he murmured loud enough for only his daughter to hear. She paused in her step and nodded sadly, letting her chin rest against her chest as she thought back to her mother's words. Even now, they stung her pelt like thorns that refused to be groomed out. She raised her eyes to watch as her mother began to climb up the path to the nursery. "Do you think she will ever get over their deaths?" she asked quietly. Gorsefoot did not reply immediately and paused just outside the nursery before responding. "No, I don't think she will ever forget how much it hurt to lose them." Moonkit felt her spirits fall gravely as the words reached her ears and she lowered her head again. Believing that their talk was finished, she began to move through the brambles and into the cave.

"But, I think she will be able to become happier overtime even if it still hurts."

She blinked in surprise and turned around to ask if he really meant that only to find that Gorsefoot was already finding his way higher up the pathway towards the warriors' den. A small grin played on her muzzle as she turned away and joined her denmates in the milky scented den.

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 **Ouka-noir**


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